Bridle and bit.



Nu. 7|o,|56. Patented sept. 3o, |902.

\ B. w. Kmm, 1n.

BRIDLE AND BIT..

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WW1/mo@ 35% UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Y BENJAMIN W. KINDIG, JR., OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRIDLE AND BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,156, datedSeptember 30, 1902. Application tiled January 21, 1902. Serial No.90,682. (No model-l To 1r/ZZ whom, it 11i/wy con/067%.

BeitknoWnthatLBENJAMINW.KIND1G,Jr., a citizen ofthe United States,residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Bridle and Bit, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a novel bridle and bit for horses, but isconcerned more particularly with the production of the improved bit, thenovel features of the bridle being such only as are necessary to theattachment of the bit to the bridle and its manipulation b y means ofthe reins or lines.

The difficulty of managing what is known as a pulling horse,or one whichtakes the bit in its teeth, is Well understood by all horsemen, and manyattempts have been made to provide a bit which cannot be held betweenthe teeth of the horse when considerable pull is exerted upon the linesby the driver. As a result of these efforts a great many severecurb-bits have been placed upon the market; but those with which I amfamiliar are objectionable, for the reason that while they insure thecontrol of the animal their use upon a spirited horse invariably resultsin injury to his mouth.

The object of my invention is to provide a bit which, while beingexceedingly severe, in that it brings the horse surely under the controlof the driver, will nevertheless be incapable of injuring the horsesmouth.

To the accomplishment of this object and others subordinate thereto, allas will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention in its preferredembodiment comprehends that construction and arrangement of parts to bemore fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, andsuccinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawing I have illustrated the, bit and bridle in perspective asapplied to the head of a horse, the horses head being indicated indotted lines. I

The bridle may be of any construction except in those particulars whichwill be noted; but itpreferably consists, as usual, of the' cheek-straps1 and 2 and the head-band 3, secured to the rosettes 4, to which arealso secured the crown-piece 5 and the throat-latch 6. To the front endsof the face-pieces 7 and 8 of the overdraw 9 is secured an overdraW-bit10, having its ends turnedv up and provided with eyes 11 to facilitatethe attachment of the face-pieces.

The nose band or strap 12 instead of having its ends attached to theends of the bit in the ordinary manner is buckled to a pair ofguide-rings 13 and 14, disposed upon the overdraW-bit and located justoutside of the corners of the horses mout-h. These guide-rings 13 and 14are designed to receive and guide the ends of a iiexible loop-bit 15,preferably in the form of a leather strap, looped around the lower jawof the'horse and crossed in the mouth over the tongue. The ends of thebit 15 are provided with bit-rings 16, to which the reins or lines 17are buckled, as shown.

An essential feature of the invention in one aspect thereof is theflexible loop-bit encircling the lower jaw of the horse and crossed inhis mouth, and it is for this reason that I have stated any preferredform of bridle to be applicable for use in connection with my invention.I find it to be desirable, however, to employ the guide-rings 13 and14supported upon vthe overdraW-bit, as described, and the constructionis also improved by the provision of means for supporting the outer endsof the bit 15 in their proper positions. In the present embodiment ofthe invention this supporting means comprises the cheekstraps 1 and 2,which are preferably brought down at the inside of the ends of the bit15 and are looped around said ends, as shown at 18, and buckled at 19,the bit ends being provided with keeper-loops 2O adjacent to theguide-rings 13 and 14 in the normal positions of the parts to maintainthe proper relative positions of the cheek-straps and bit.

It will now be seen that under oldinary conditions the loop-bit will notbe severely constricted around the horses jaw; but as the ends of thebit pass through the guide-rings supported upon the overdraw-bit aslight pull upon either line or rein will cause one end or the other ofthe overdraw-bit to be drawn back slightly for the purpose of properlyguiding the animal. Under conditions demanding,r greater severity,however, exaggerated pnll upon the lines will draw the ends of the bitthrough the guide-ring, constricting the loop-bit around the jaw withsuch IOO force as may be necessary to insure the control of the horse.The presence of the overdraw-bit between the teeth will prevent theanimal from gripping the loop-strap between his jaws or from chewing`the strap.

From the foregoing it will appear that I have produced a practicalandefiicient bridle and bit by means of which the control of the animalmay be accomplished by only such se- Verity as is necessary and whichwill under all circumstances preclude the possibility of injury to themouth; but While the present embodiment of the invention appears at thistime to be preferable I do not limit myself to the details ofconstruction illustrated and described,as, on the contrary, I reservethe right to eifect such changes, modifications, and variations thereofas may be suggested by experience and experiment and embraced Within thescope of the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. The combination with an overdraw-bit provided withguides, of a exible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of ahorse and having its ends passed through said guides.

2. The combination with an overdraw-bit provided with guides, ot aflexible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse andhaving its ends passed through said guides, and means forsupport-ing theends of the bit beyond the guides.

3. The combination with an overdraw-bit provided with guides, of aloop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of ahorse and having itsends passed through the guides, and cheek-straps secured to the ends ofthe loopbit beyond the guides to support said ends.

4. The combination with a bridle including cheek-straps, an overdraw anda nose-strap, of an overdraw-bitconnected to the overdraw, guide-ringsencircling the overdraw-bit and connected to the ends of the nose-strap,a flexible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse andhaving its ends passed through the guiderings and connected to the lowerends of the cheek-straps, and means for attaching the lines to the endsof the loop-bit.

5. A flexible loop-bit designed to be looped around the lowerjaw of ananimaland crossed in the mouth, and provided at its opposite ends withmeans for the direct attachment of the lines.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN W. KINDIG, JR.

Witnesses:

WADswoRTH M. GEORGE, JOHN C. DEETER.

